The Smarter Funding, Better Outcomes initiative is led by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the state’s largest business advocacy organization, which represents a diverse range of industries on key policy issues at the state and federal level to ensure Georgia remains economically competitive. The Chamber’s membership draws from every community in Georgia, and ranges from family-owned businesses to the Fortune 500.

The Chamber is committed to improving educational outcomes for Georgia students in order to provide employers with the qualified workforce they need now and in the future. As part of this commitment, and working alongside other key stakeholders and organizations, the Chamber launched Smarter Funding, Better Outcomes to examine how Georgia’s education funding formula can be improved to better serve the needs of our students and our state.

Funding for Smarter Funding, Better Outcomes is provided through a grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the Georgia Chamber working to educate key stakeholders and the public on policies consistent with the Chamber’s guiding mission of ensuring Georgia remains economically competitive.

The Chamber’s Commitment to Excellence in Education

Helped create theMove on When Ready framework, which engages faster learners with advanced instruction and gives slower learners the help they need to graduate.

Assisted with Georgia’s successful bid for $400 million in federal Race to the Top funds to address teacher quality and other issues.

Created the Commission for School Board Excellence to improve local board governance in response to widespread accreditation issues in Georgia.

It is vital to Georgia’s economic future that its public education system produces better student outcomes. Reforming how Georgia finances K-12 education is integral to achieving that goal. The Smarter Funding, Better Outcomes initiative will positively contribute to the process of modernizing and improving education finance in our state.